"If the believers in liberty wish the principles of liberty taught, let them never entrust that instruction to any government; for the nature of government is to become a thing apart, an institution existing for its own sake, preying upon the people, and teaching whatever will tend to keep it secure in its seat." -- Voltairine de Cleyre

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Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Right after the Libertarian Party's 2008 national convention, I wrote:

I've already taken a few hits -- including from long-time friends an allies -- for my own appeal for party loyalty. To those who are disappointed or angry with me, I have only this to say:

Yes, "my party right or wrong" has limits. If Bob Barr and Wayne Allyn Root don't run a convincingly pro-freedom campaign, that's on them and I'll act accordingly. However, my implicit agreement with the other delegates was that I'd support our caucus-expressed judgment as to which candidates WOULD most likely run such a campaign, and now that that judgment has been rendered, I'll support it until and unless I am presented with convincing evidence amassed after the fact that it was in fact a defective judgment.

I'm sorry to have to report that that "until and unless" has come to pass:

- Last Thursday, Barr came out in favor of nationalized/socialized oil exploration (the kind inevitably followed by corporate welfare-gifting of discovered resources).

- Yesterday, Barr made an appeal on behalf of using state tax policy for social engineering purposes.

- And today, in a truly bizarre fundraising letter, Barr played the Know-Nothing card, effectively screaming from the rooftop: "Support me -- I'm not as LIBERTARIAN as John McCain and Barack Obama on immigration."

Right after the Libertarian Party's 2008 national convention, I wrote:

I've already taken a few hits -- including from long-time friends an allies -- for my own appeal for party loyalty. To those who are disappointed or angry with me, I have only this to say:

Yes, "my party right or wrong" has limits. If Bob Barr and Wayne Allyn Root don't run a convincingly pro-freedom campaign, that's on them and I'll act accordingly. However, my implicit agreement with the other delegates was that I'd support our caucus-expressed judgment as to which candidates WOULD most likely run such a campaign, and now that that judgment has been rendered, I'll support it until and unless I am presented with convincing evidence amassed after the fact that it was in fact a defective judgment.

I'm sorry to have to report that that "until and unless" has come to pass:

- Last Thursday, Barr came out in favor of nationalized/socialized oil exploration (the kind inevitably followed by corporate welfare-gifting of discovered resources).

- Yesterday, Barr made an appeal on behalf of using state tax policy for social engineering purposes.

- And today, in a truly bizarre fundraising letter, Barr played the Know-Nothing card, effectively screaming from the rooftop: "Support me -- I'm not as LIBERTARIAN as John McCain and Barack Obama on immigration."